The VTNE Explained: Eligibility, Format, Scoring, Retakes and How to Prepare

The Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) is the gate every credentialed veterinary technician in North America passes through. Every state and province that credentials technicians requires a passing score. It is also the exam whose rules have changed most in recent years, so advice from even a few years ago can be out of date.

This guide explains how the VTNE works today, based on the American Association of Veterinary State Boards' (AAVSB) published rules, and how to plan for it.

Who runs the VTNE

The AAVSB owns, develops and administers the VTNE. You apply to the AAVSB to take the exam, and PSI, the AAVSB's testing vendor, delivers it. After you pass, you apply separately to the state or province where you want to be credentialed. Passing the VTNE is necessary for a credential but not the credential itself.

Eligibility: the three pathways

The AAVSB recognizes three pathways to sit the exam. Not every jurisdiction accepts all three.

1. Graduates of an accredited program. Graduates of programs accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) or the Canadian VMA. Every jurisdiction accepts this pathway.
2. On the job trained candidates. People applying for licensure with work experience rather than an accredited degree. The AAVSB handbook lists this as a valid pathway for licensure only in Montana, Wisconsin, Alaska and Utah.
3. Alternate pathway candidates. For example, graduates of programs that are not AVMA or CVMA accredited, sometimes with a work experience requirement. Valid only in select jurisdictions, and the AAVSB determines eligibility against that jurisdiction's rules.

For anyone planning a career that might cross state lines, the accredited pathway is the only one recognized everywhere.

What changed in 2024

In the fall of 2024 the AAVSB board made several changes, reported by AAHA in early 2025:

• Final semester testing. Students in accredited programs can take the VTNE during their last semester of coursework, at the discretion of their program. The program sends the AAVSB a list of eligible candidates, so candidates no longer send transcripts themselves.
• More, longer windows. Testing windows went from three a year to four, and each window grew from one month to two.
• Open applications. You can register at any time for either of the next two upcoming windows.
• Central review of other pathways. The AAVSB now reviews on the job and alternate pathway candidates against each jurisdiction's rules, though jurisdictions still decide licensure.

Some technician organizations raised concerns, particularly about students testing before finishing their program and about alternate routes. NAVTA continues to support graduation from an accredited program as the standard route. For candidates, the practical effect is simple: if your program approves it, you may be able to take the exam before you graduate.

The exam itself

• Length: three hours.
• Questions: 170 multiple choice questions. Your score is based on 150 scored items. The other 20 are pilot questions used to build future exams. You will not know which are which, so treat every question as if it counts.
• Language: English or French.
• Where: at a PSI test center in the US or Canada, or at home through live remote proctoring. Remote testing has its own technical and room requirements, so read the AAVSB's live remote proctoring guide before choosing it.
• ID: the name on your application must match your valid government photo ID exactly. Some IDs, such as military ID cards, cannot be used for remote proctoring.

Fees and rescheduling

• Application fee: $375 at the time of writing, paid by card or a prepaid voucher. All sales are final.
• Changing windows: you can move your exam once, to the very next window, for a $90 administrative fee, up to 48 hours before your appointment. After that, you must reapply and pay the full fee.
• Missing your window: if you do not test in the window you applied for, you forfeit the fee.

Scoring: what 425 means

The VTNE reports scaled scores from 200 to 800, and 425 passes. Scaled scores are not percentages. The AAVSB converts the number of questions you answer correctly into a scaled score so that the passing standard stays the same from one version of the exam to the next, even if one version is slightly harder than another. The AAVSB does not report scores as a number or percentage correct.

You see your pass or fail status as soon as you finish. Your score report appears in your AAVSB portal within three business days, and official scores go to the jurisdiction you selected.

Retakes

If you do not pass, you reapply and pay the exam fee again. The AAVSB permits five attempts. A sixth or later attempt requires review and approval by the AAVSB board. Once you have passed, you cannot take the VTNE again unless your state board requires it.

Score transfer

If you later move, the AAVSB can send your VTNE score to another jurisdiction, so you do not retake the exam to be credentialed in a new state. You will still need to meet the new state's other requirements. See moving states as a veterinarian or vet tech.

How to prepare

The VTNE's content outline, published by the AAVSB, sets out the domains the exam covers, such as pharmacy and pharmacology, surgical nursing, dentistry, laboratory procedures, animal care and nursing, diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, emergency medicine and critical care, and pain management. Use it as your study map.

A practical plan:

1. Start from the content outline, not from a random question bank. Rate yourself honestly in each domain.
2. Take an official practice test early. The AAVSB sells practice tests built like the real exam. Use the first to find gaps, not to measure readiness.
3. Study the weak domains first, with your program's textbooks and notes.
4. Do questions in timed blocks. 170 questions in three hours is just over a minute each.
5. Take a second practice test a week or two before your date, under real conditions.
6. Book early in a window so you have time to reschedule once if life intervenes.

Program pass rates are published by accredited programs, and they are worth checking when choosing a school, because they reflect how well a program prepares students for exactly this exam.

After you pass

Apply to your state for your credential. Each state adds its own requirements, such as a jurisprudence exam, fingerprints or a background check. See RVT, LVT, CVT explained and our state guides for Texas and New York. Then claim your credential on Zuse Talent and browse vet tech jobs near you, with the pay shown.

Sources

• AAVSB, Veterinary Technician National Exam, Scheduling and Taking the VTNE and Applying to Take the VTNE
• AAVSB, VTNE Candidate Information Handbook (eligibility pathways, fees, window transfers, scoring, retakes)
• AAHA, Changes to the VTNE technician exam raise concerns (February 2025)

Fees, windows and policies are set by the AAVSB and can change. Check the AAVSB's site before you apply.

FAQ

What score do you need to pass the VTNE?

A scaled score of 425 on a scale of 200 to 800. Scaled scores are not percentages; the AAVSB converts correct answers to a scaled score so the standard stays the same across versions of the exam.

How many questions are on the VTNE?

170 multiple choice questions in three hours. 150 are scored and 20 are unscored pilot questions.

Can I take the VTNE before I graduate?

Yes, if you are in an accredited program and your program approves it. Since late 2024, students can take the VTNE in their final semester at their program's discretion.

How many times can you take the VTNE?

The AAVSB permits five attempts. A sixth or later attempt requires approval from the AAVSB board.

Can I take the VTNE at home?

Yes. The VTNE is offered at PSI test centers and through live remote proctoring at home, which has its own technical and identification requirements.

How much does the VTNE cost?

The application fee was $375 at the time of writing, and moving to the next window once costs $90. Check the AAVSB's site for current fees.